The Camping Tour
Construction on the Emerald Resort, overseen by Manager Kang Jae-ho, was finally complete. It was originally expected to take over ten months, but thanks to Manager Kang's efficient and systematic planning, the timeline had been slashed to just six. His years of grinding on rough construction sites, the owner-mindset from running his own firm, and the theoretical knowledge he had picked up through night school had all coalesced. Giving him full authority over the project had created the perfect synergy. Manager Kang knew better than anyone how massive of a financial boon it was to shorten the construction period. Of course, he hadn't compromised on quality either.
"Whoa, this is absolutely killer," Sandro was the first to speak.
The resort was predominantly white, designed to look as if a brilliant, emerald-colored river flowed right through the entire structure. Just looking at it brought an instant wave of refreshment. Blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, it created the vivid illusion of actually walking through the Emerald Canyon.
The guest rooms were designed with Lumina Lake as their motif. When the lights were turned off, a soft, mystical glow reminiscent of Lumina Lake seemed to seep from the walls. While it couldn't truly compare to the real thing, the design captured the essence beautifully.
"Are we opening for business starting today?" I asked Patrick.
"No, sir."
"Then what? Is there still some permit we're waiting on? When can we actually start taking guests?"
"We've actually been operating for a few days now. The construction was finished, and we couldn't very well leave the rooms empty just because we hadn't held the grand opening ceremony yet, could we?"
"I... I suppose not?"
It seemed the tourism business was running perfectly fine now without me having to lift a finger. They were handling everything on their own. In any case, the opening of the Emerald Resort gave us some much-needed breathing room regarding room availability. Vicente Palace had been constantly short on rooms, and the Emerald Resort filled that gap perfectly. I was especially pleased with the increase in large suites that could accommodate four or more people. Since we had a lot of family travelers, those types of rooms were in high demand, so this was a massive relief.
After the grand opening ceremony, I returned to the office, where Sandro brought up a new topic.
"Oh, right. I was talking with CEO Jang Yun-mi the other day, and she suggested we launch a camping tour."
"A camping tour?"
"Yeah. Apparently, the people who visited Lumina Lake had such an incredible time camping in the Philippines. They kept asking if there were other camping options available. The topic came up when we all gathered for the funeral, and I thought it sounded like a pretty solid idea. I looked into the logistics, and it's completely doable."
"Is that so?"
"We can rent out camper vans or high-end camping gear and let them go wild. Imagine driving around, finding a spot you like, pitching a tent, and just relaxing. Bohol doesn't have any camping restrictions, after all."
"But there's the issue of safety."
"Of course, we'll assign a guide who doubles as a security guard to each group. A guard who can drive for them, plan their route, and guide them. And most importantly, who in Bohol would dare touch a Candy Tour vehicle? It'd be suicide."
I liked the confidence in Sandro's voice. Even a brief mental run-through told me it wasn't a bad idea at all.
"So, what do you need?"
"We can just pull guides from our existing staff. All we need are the camper vans and the camping gear, which we can source in no time."
"Then let's establish some basic routes first. Some people might know the area, but most won't. Set up a few key points and design some itineraries. Some people will want to sleep by the ocean, others in the mountains, so let's make sure they can customize their route beforehand."
"Got it. So we're greenlit to start right away?"
"Yeah. Get on it as soon as you're ready."
"Understood."
"Boss... there are way too many submissions coming in for the contest."
Im Yu-na's whining echoed in my ears morning and night. Her physical state was already a complete wreck. All because she had sold us ten of her paintings. Having been semi-coerced into employment just because she had designed our first batch of merchandise, Im Yu-na had ended up staying. Now, she was personally reviewing every single entry for the Bohol Tourism Art Contest.
Even if the official winners were chosen by the organizing committee, Im Yu-na was the one who had to select which pieces would be turned into official merchandise. The problem was, there were too many good pieces. Far too many to choose from. The vibrant colors, unique perspectives, and distinct designs—everything was so incredibly diverse. No matter how much she filtered through them, more and more amazing submissions kept piling up.
She reviewed them until her eyes were bloodshot, yet there was still an endless mountain of unread entries. Why on earth are there so many submissions for a local contest?! she grumbled inwardly, but there was no one around to listen to her complaints. Ultimately, she had no choice but to seek out Alex.
"Boss, there are just too many submissions for the contest. I can't filter through them all."
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I can't make a choice. There are too many pieces that I absolutely love."
"Then why don't we just turn all of them into merchandise?"
"I thought about that, but I don't think that's a good idea either."
"Why not?"
"It would dilute our brand identity, and expanding the inventory like that would make management and production a total nightmare."
"Hmm... Then how about we host an exhibition?"
"An exhibition?"
"Yes. Once the contest judging is over, coordinate with the Bohol provincial government to hold an art exhibition. We can just manufacture merchandise based on the pieces that get the best response from the public."
"Oh! That sounds like an amazing idea. Boss, are you a genius?"
"Coordinate with the CCAD to get it moving. If the provincial government says they don't have a suitable venue, talk to Manager Kang Jae-ho and see if we can use the basement of the Emerald Resort."
"There's a basement there?"
"There's a massive space underground. We're currently using it as a warehouse, but it'll be more than enough to host an exhibition. Still, you'll need to install proper lighting and set up partition walls, so discuss the details with Manager Kang."
"Okay!"
"And make sure to take some breaks. You look completely exhausted."
"Y-Yes... Yes, sir!"
Her face flushing bright red once again, Im Yu-na practically fled the office.
"Boss, here is the report for GoGo Casino."
Manager Nam Yong-woo walked in, holding the financial settlement reports. Having spent a few days in Korea, the backlog of reports waiting for me was endless. Looking over the documents, GoGo Casino was experiencing massive daily growth. It was growing so fast that I was almost wishing it would slow down a bit.
"How are Candy Coin and the exchange doing?"
"Allowing users to purchase coins directly with their casino points was an absolute stroke of genius. Our revenue has skyrocketed."
"Is it safe for us to keep growing at this rate?"
"It might be fine for the short term, but we'll definitely need to take some measures soon."
"Such as?"
"For instance, separating the sports betting section, which is currently integrated into the main casino platform, into its own independent entity."
"Ah. Get started on that as soon as possible."
"Understood. I'll begin immediately. Shall we keep Candy Coin integrated with both?"
"Yes. Keep it connected so they can continue using it seamlessly."
"Understood. And..."
"Is there something else?"
"This isn't entirely confirmed yet, but we've recently seen a massive influx of users routing through VPNs from China."
"What? From China?"
"Because of the VPNs, we can't pinpoint their exact locations, but there's a ninety percent chance they're originating from mainland China."
"Why China all of a sudden? Any idea?"
"My guess is that Chinese nationals who used to play on GoGo Casino while living in Korea returned to China and kept accessing the site. From there, word of mouth probably spread. After all, the Chinese are notoriously passionate when it comes to gambling."
Is that so? China is a nation of hardcore gamblers? I had no idea. So they're just good, honest folks who love a good wager? I guess I judged them too harshly. This is why prejudices are so dangerous. Well, if they want to play, I should help them out.
"We can translate GoGo Casino into Chinese, right?"
"Of course. We can roll out that service immediately."
"If they're going through the trouble of using VPNs just to gamble, the least we can do is accommodate them. Launch the Chinese service, and while you're at it, let's add English and Spanish support as well."
"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."
"And tell Ana to come see me."
"Yes, sir. Ana?"
"Yes. I have something to discuss with her privately."
"If you tell me, I can relay the message to her."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather speak to her directly. Just send her in."
"Understood, sir."
A few moments later, Ana walked into the office.
"Ana. Where is GoGo Casino currently registered?"
"Right here in the Philippines."
"You know our revenue is growing, right?"
"Yes. It's growing at a terrifying pace."
"Do you think we should keep it registered in the Philippines, or would it be better to move it?"
"If you're asking for my honest opinion, we should absolutely move it."
"Your reasoning?"
"The Philippines is politically unstable. Everything might be fine right now, but they could launch a sudden crackdown at any moment. When that happens, laws and lawyers won't mean a thing. We need to move it to a jurisdiction with zero regulations on this kind of business before that happens. Since we already have our coin and exchange registered in the Cayman Islands, it would make sense to move the casino there as well. It'll make money laundering much easier, too."
"Okay, I see. I'll leave that in your hands, then."
"Understood. I'll get right on it and report back."
The Damaya stronghold in Mindanao.
"Without stamina, you are nothing. You must run faster and move more than your enemy, no matter what."
"Fix your posture."
"Stop shaking when you shoot. A mere millimeter of movement on your end translates to a deviation of over ten meters at the target."
"Maintain proper cover and concealment. The second you poke your head out, it'll get blown off. There are snipers waiting for you."
"Constantly verify your position and the positions of your teammates."
I was training the Damaya rebels. I had dug up the training manuals I used back when I was an instructor in the Congo. I had no choice. If I wanted to keep them alive, I couldn't just watch them march off to their deaths. It was a strange hobby, but I had grown fond of them, pouring my time, money, and energy into their training. As I trained Allen and spent more time with the group, I realized I wanted to prevent them from being completely wiped out. I didn't want to see them march into battle unprepared, only to die without firing a single shot.
I planned to teach them the basics—the absolute fundamentals. That should be enough for them to protect their own lives. But trying to teach them highlighted just how abysmal their conditions were. Their weapons were garbage, they had no uniforms, and they barely had any food. I wasn't their sponsor. But then again, this wasn't sponsoring. It was more like... charity work. You can't fight on an empty stomach, and you certainly can't go into battle wearing bright, colorful civilian clothes. Even if they didn't have state-of-the-art weaponry, they at least needed rifles that fired reliably. They needed basic walkie-talkies to communicate with one another.
I provided those essentials and drilled basic tactical maneuvers into their heads. Read, write, memorize, repeat. Was it because I had zero expectations, or because they were blank slates who absorbed everything exactly as I taught them? In a remarkably short period, they began to look like a proper unit. And then there was Allen.
"Allen. Do you know what a sniper is?"
"A sniper? You mean someone who shoots from far away?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"What about them?"
"I want to recommend that you become one."
Training Allen had revealed his extraordinary talent. He possessed incredible athletic ability, a sharp mind, and a remarkable capacity to learn and adapt. Most of all, he had a fierce, burning venom inside him, likely fueled by his desire for revenge. That was exactly what made a great sniper. People like him could lie completely motionless for days, staring at a single target without losing focus.
"A sniper? Why?"
I gave him a patient explanation.
"Allen, remember our bet from before? No complaining, no whining, no talking back. No grumbling, sighing, lamenting, or venting. No giving up. Don't question me; just do exactly as you're told. It's going to be brutal."
"......"
"It's one of the most grueling roles in existence. You'll have to lie in ambush in a single spot for days just to fire a single round. You'll have to calculate wind speed and direction, air pressure, temperature, humidity, and even the rotation of the Earth before pulling the trigger. It requires an immense amount of study and physical training."
"If I do that, how will it help?"
"The chances of Damaya's victory will increase exponentially."
"Then I'll do it."